Andy Reid officially named Chiefs head coach

Four days after he was fired by Eagles owner Jeff Lurie, Andy Reid has been named the 12th head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Reid agreed to a five-year deal on Friday and replaces Romeo Crennel, fired Monday by the Chiefs after just one full season and three games as interim coach. Reid and the Chiefs had met past midnight Thursday night into Friday morning, a source told CSNPhilly.com, and had agreed on major portions of an agreement.

The Chiefs on Friday morning fired general manager Scott Pioli, who was part of the original interview process, to clear the way for Reid to hammer out the rest of the deal and bring in his own general manager.

The new general manager, the source said, will be either Tom Heckert, the former Eagles and Browns general manager, or Packers Director of Football Operations John Dorsey, who was director of college scouting in Green Bay when Reid was on Mike Holmgrens Packers staff in the 1990s.

Monte Kiffin, who built the Buccaneers defense that stifled the Eagles in the 2002 NFC Championship Game, could become Reids defensive coordinator, and Pat Shurmur, Reids quarterbacks coach in Philly and recently fired as Browns head coach, would be a logical choice as offensive coordinator.

Reid is also expected to bring with him some coaches from the Eagles staff, including quarterbacks coach Doug Pederson, a source confirmed.

The Chiefs havent won a playoff game since 1993 under Joe Montana and coach Marty Schottenheimer. Reid won more playoff games with the Eagles during the nine-year span from 2000 through 2008 (10) than the Chiefs have won in their 53-year history (eight). The Chiefs have lost their last six postseason games by an average of 10.3 points.

Reid had a 130-93-1 record in 14 years with the Eagles but was 33-31 over the past four seasons without a playoff win.

Reid immediately emerged as the favorite for the head coaching vacancy in Arizona after he was fired. The Cardinals fired coach Ken Whisenhunt Monday after six years that included a 2008 NFC Championship Game win over Reids Eagles.

But his first interview was with the Chiefs on Wednesday in Philadelphia, and by Thursday afternoon, Reid had cancelled plans to meet with the Cards and with the Chargers, who emerged on Thursday as the third suitor for Reid after firing head coach Norv Turner.

Reids meeting with Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, team president Mark Donovan and Pioli lasted nearly nine hours and was the first clear sign that the Chiefs were serious in their pursuit of Reid.

The only other known candidate for the Chiefs job was Falcons special teams coach Keith Armstrong, a Bucks County native who satisfies the leagues Rooney Rule provision that prohibits teams from hiring a head coach without interviewing a minority candidate.

In the Chiefs, Reid gets a team that was worst in the NFL this year in scoring at 13.2 points per game and 25th in the league in points allowed at 26.5.

The Chiefs this year became only the 14th team in NFL history to allow 425 or more points and score 211 or fewer points. Their only wins came by a combined nine points against the Saints in overtime in September and the Panthers in December.

Its a strikingly similar situation to 1999, when Reid took over an Eagles team that in 1998 ranked 30th in offense and 19th in defense and won three games by a total of nine points.

With the Eagles in 1999, Reid had the second pick in the draft in his first year and selected Donovan McNabb, a move that helped turn the franchise into a winner by 2000. The Chiefs this year will have the first pick in the draft, a move that could certainly have ramifications for the Eagles, who pick fourth.

Despite their league-worst 2-14 record, the Chiefs have some talent. They had five Pro Bowl picks this year tailback Jamaal Charles, linebackers Tamba Hali and Derrick Johnson, safety Eric Berry and punter Dustin Colquitt.

But the Chiefs are unsettled at quarterback, much like the team Reid inherited in 1999, with Koy Detmer, Bobby Hoying and Rodney Peete.

Brady Quinn and Matt Cassel each started eight games for the Chiefs this year and combined for eight touchdowns and 20 interceptions. Cassel did make the Pro Bowl in 2010 but is just 19-28 in four seasons since leaving the Patriots to sign with the Chiefs.

Reid is the second former Eagles head coach to wind up coaching the Chiefs.

Dick Vermeil, who coached the Eagles from 1976 through 1982 and led the team to the 1980 Super Bowl, coached the Chiefs from 2001 through 2005 after winning the Super Bowl in 1999 with the Rams.

The last seven Eagles head coaches have all gotten another head coaching job after being fired by the Eagles Mike McCormick to the Colts in 1980, Vermeil to the Rams in 1997, Marion Campbell to the Falcons in 1987, Buddy Ryan to the Cards in 1994, Rich Kotite to the Jets in 1995, Ray Rhodes to the Packers in 1999 and now Reid to the Chiefs.

The last Eagles head coach who never got another head coaching position was Ed Khayat, who was 8-15-2 with the Eagles in 1971 and 1972 but never coached again.